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The 2021 summer transfer window has been one of the most exciting windows in recent memory, with Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos shifting allegiances. Unfortunately, the ongoing transfer window is nearing its end.
August 31st is the much-dreaded transfer deadline day across Europe’s top-5 leagues, so clubs will be scampering in the hope of adding a few fresh faces for the new season. The madness of transfer deadline day has already started to transpire, as Ainsley Maitland-Niles publicly expressed his intent to leave Arsenal.
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On that note, here's a look at the five strangest transfer deadline-day stories.
#5 QPR’s shock signing | 2014
Sky Sports News reporters have been on the receiving end of some of the strangest occurrences on transfer deadline day.
One such reporter who fell victim to the madness of deadline day was Gary Cotterill while he was on live TV at Loftus Road. Throughout the day, Cotterill was outside the home of Queens Park Rangers, covering all their business on deadline day for the 2014 summer window. Sky cameras caught a man seen arriving in a luxury car with a QPR jersey in hand.
He was posing as QPR’s new fictional signing, Jason Bent, who was just a local comedian pulling off a prank. The Sky Sports reporters in the studio seemed to buy into the charade, but their reporter on the ground, Gary Cotterill, was having none of it.
Cotterill reported back to the studio:
“There’s a false thing that’s just happened here. This man here is a comedian posing as Jermain Defoe.”
However, the fictional signing accurately predicted QPR’s fortunes in the upcoming season. Jason Bent said that he had signed “to play in the Premiership this season and in the Championship next season.”
QPR did indeed get relegated at the end of the 2014-15 league season, and still find themselves in the second tier of English football.
#4 Diafra Sakho’s unsanctioned medical | 2017
In one of the most recent bizarre occurrences on deadline day, West Ham’s Diafro Sakho went ahead and completed his medical at Rennes without permission from his employers.
The Hammers never gave Sakho permission or assurances regarding his sale to Ligue 1 outfit Rennes. That, though, did not deter Sakho, as the Senegalese was hell-bent on completing a move to France.
The now-31-year-old was so keen on the move that he made the return trip to London to force his club to sell. However, none of West Ham’s big bosses attended that meeting. As things turned out, West Ham and Rennes could not agree on a reasonable fee for the centre-forward, and he was expected to make an immediate return to training.
Sakho was in no rush to rejoin his teammates as he visited Chelmsford Racecourse, and partook in gambling on horse races. He even earned a £500 profit after betting on one of his agent’s horses.
The former Senegal international would eventually get things his way in the next transfer window, and was sold to Rennes on a €10-million transfer.
#3 The fax machine debacle in David de Gea’s deal | 2015
One of the most popular transfer-day debacles was David De Gea’s botched deadline-day move to Real Madrid.
David de Gea was undoubtedly Manchester United’s most prized asset at the time, and had emerged as the best shot-stopper in the Premier League. That attracted interest from a host of top European clubs, with reports emerging that De Gea wanted to move away from an underperforming Manchester United side.
Real Madrid were the frontrunners for De Gea’s signature in 2015 after a lengthy transfer saga, and the move looked inevitable. The Spaniard was set to return to the Spanish capital, while Keylor Navas was to make the trip in the opposite direction, to Old Trafford.
In modern football, signings are announced on Twitter and Instagram, where sending and receiving paperwork is the easiest part of the deal. The main hold-ups with transfer deals are generally negotiations between the clubs, discussions regarding player wages, agent fees, etc.
Apparently, a dodgy fax machine at United’s headquarters caused the collapse of the deal. The paperwork could not be completed on time, and no further extension was granted by the Premier League and La Liga authorities.
#2 Peter Odemwingie’s unauthorised road trip | 2013
A recurring feature on transfer deadline day is a player’s insistence on pushing a deal through to his favoured destination. One such player was Peter Odemwingie, who made a 125-mile solo road trip all the way from the West Midlands to West London.
The Nigerian made the trip to Loftus Road in the hope of convincing the QPR hierarchy to sign him from his former club, West Brom. However, Odemwingie was not made aware that his transfer was part of a swap deal involving Junior Hoilett.
All the other formalities of the deal had been agreed upon, but QPR were yet to reach an agreement on personal terms with Hoilett. The winger was yet to green-light his signature, but Odemwingie was kept entirely in the dark about the swap deal.
The now 40-year old had to endure the embarrassment of waiting in his car outside Loftus Road. Odemwingie was denied entry to the stadium, and the entire incident was recorded by the Sky Sports crew outside Loftus Road. He faced disciplinary action from West Brom, and was eventually sold to Cardiff City that year.
#1 Ryan Babel’s mysterious helicopter trip | 2010
Arguably the most bizarre occurrence on transfer deadline day was Ryan Babel’s mysterious helicopter trip to nowhere.
Liverpool had reportedly turned down an £8 million offer from Birmingham, but Babel was adamant on forcing a move in that summer transfer window. According to rumours, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham were interested in the winger, but no official bids had been made.
That is when Babel took matters into his own hands, and went aboard a helicopter on deadline day. He was expected to make a trip to London to hold meetings with the Spurs and West Ham hierarchy.
However, Babel’s helicopter never landed in London or anywhere for that matter. His whereabouts during the helicopter ride is still unknown to this day, as Babel would eventually land back on Merseyside by 6 PM on D-Day.
